[Patent document 1] JP 2011-075893 A
A navigation apparatus displays a map on a display portion. The map displayed may need to switch from one region to another region; the on-map position displayed may need to switch from a present position to a goal position. To respond to those needs, the manipulation is made for the movement of the map and the change of the reduced scale of the map. For example, when a touch manipulation to a screen of the display portion permits the movement of the map displayed on the screen, a touch is made onto an on-screen position located in an intended direction from the center of the screen, thereby scrolling the map to the intended direction. In addition, when the enlargement or reduction of the map displayed is made by the change of the reduced scale, a press manipulation is made onto an enlargement button or a reduction button.
In addition, the touch manipulation onto the screen includes a flick manipulation and pinch manipulation using fingers to move the display according to the movement of the finger or to enlarge or reduce the display according to the mutual movements of the two fingers. In the pinch manipulation, the display actually appearing is enlarged or reduced with the touch manipulation of enlarging or reducing the gap between two fingers, providing a user-friendly tactile sense. However, the direct touch manipulation onto the screen is not so easy for a navigation apparatus mounted in a vehicle.
A remote manipulation using a remote control may also be used for moving a display and changing a reduced scale of the display, as described in Patent document 1. Tracing a manipulation guide region G on the remote control permits scrolling of the map displayed and changing of the reduced scale simultaneously.
However, Patent document 1 does not explicitly describe specific setups of the reduced scale. For instance, suppose that a present place displayed needs to be changed to another place away from the present place by about 1,000 km, requiring a great number of changes in the reduced scale. Such changes may require a troublesome manipulation for a user, precluding an intuitive manipulation and not providing an effective usability.